This study assessed total aerobes and anaerobes in vacuum packaged ‘wara’ a West African soft
white cheese processed with lemon juice as coagulant. The cheese was treated with Carica papaya (Vcpc),
Terminalia cattapa (Vtcc) crude extracts, nisin (Vnc), and the combination of these three treatments (V+3) and
stored at 15 and 28ºC for a three weeks storage period. The total aerobes and anaerobes were suppressed to an
undetectable level (<1.00 logcfu/mL) in Vcpc at 15ºC in the first week of storage. In Vtcc the total aerobes
which was initially 6.24 logcfu/mL in the first week of storage was suppressed to 3.16 log cfu/mL by the 3rd
week of storage. Inhibition of microbes was not apparent in Vnc and V+3. Significant differences occurred in
the microbial count at the two storage temperatures and storage weeks (p<0.05). It can therefore be concluded
from this work that Vacuum packaging and addition of crude extracts (Carica papaya, Terminalia cattapa) in
soft cheese storage can suppress total aerobes and anaerobes) Therefore their use in extension of the shelf-life
of soft cheese is recommended.